<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Unconventional Family by Bleach_ed_Na_tsu</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23218135">Unconventional Family</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bleach_ed_Na_tsu/pseuds/Bleach_ed_Na_tsu'>Bleach_ed_Na_tsu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:49:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,257</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23218135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bleach_ed_Na_tsu/pseuds/Bleach_ed_Na_tsu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After turning eighteen, Natsume realises that staying with Touko-san and Shigeru-san isn't the smartest or safest thing to do anymore, so moves to a small house in the forest. Once they realise he's moved to a place free of other humans, the four 'child' spirits who have come to care for Natsume like a parent decide that they can't stand being lonely any more. Intended Drabble-series, family-fluff. Kitsune, Kai, Tama, and Kirinoha.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. House but not a Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yes, yes; this is yet another story in my arsenal... well... I want to expand my field. Besides, Natsume Yuujonchou is just too good not to write something about. This is going to be similar to DoF for anyone who follows my KHR stories, except in chronological order. This is set in the same Universe, three years later.</p><p>This idea was actually inspired/given to me by SkyGem and now and then she will co-author with me. Not too often, but enough to make this really interesting, eh?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Natsume always assumed that once he had turned eighteen he would leave whoever's house he was living in at the time and find a place of his own near his parents' house, or wherever he had felt the most comfortable by that time.</p><p>Never in any of his most cherished dreams did he imagine that leaving when he turned eighteen would be so difficult, and because he actually cared deeply for the people he lived with.</p><p>But that date was looming close at hand. He was turning eighteen in less than a month. It was strange really, how much you can learn in three years if you were in a loving home. One thing is how powerful affection and protectiveness truly are. Three years made Natsume realise something.</p><p>It wasn't safe for him to stay with Shigeru-san or Touko-san anymore, no matter how much he wanted to.</p><p>Even though things had settled down since he first moved in with the couple, youkai still appeared out of nowhere, and many times the more vicious beings came close to harming either Touko-san or damaging the home. Natsume was quick to act, but more than once he heard the couple whispering about the house being haunted or the area being unsafe.</p><p>Natsume sighed as he stroked Nyanko with one hand, and flipped through the thinned, but still substantial yuujinchou. He had a long way to go, and there was no telling how many of the 'friends' would hold a grudge for having their names taken, even with the gracious, unselfishness that Natsume showed by returning the name with no strings attached. He knew he couldn't keep endangering Touko-san and Shigeru-san with that. He had to move.</p><p>But he really didn't want to.</p><p>Natsume sighed again, watching as names flashed before his eyes. He could read them all, despite never studying youkai language, it was intriguing, but another reminder that he wasn't exactly normal.</p><p>"You don't have to go far you know, Natsume." The dog-cat-youkai hummed as Natsume's fingers brushed through his fur. "You only want to keep them safe. That doesn't mean cutting them off completely."</p><p>Natsume was surprised for a moment, "I didn't know you cared so much, Nyanko-sensei."</p><p>But that didn't last long-</p><p>"I don't, idiot." The cat-dog huffed. "I just don't trust you're cooking. If we go too far away I won't get to eat Touko-san's delicious food."</p><p>-because the cat opened his fat mouth.</p><p>"You stupid cat!" with a punch to the head and a huff, Natsume walked downstairs, hoping to go for a walk and think things out.</p><p>Of course, with a quick <em>'see you later'</em> called into the house he was walking the familiar street towards the forest where many of the youkai lived. It was silent in the area, but there was that tell-tale thrum of energy that poured out of the land where youkai lived. It was a heavy, suppressive energy, but Natsume thrived on it.</p><p>As he walked down a little path into the woods, Natsume noticed that for once, he hadn't been up this way before. The path was bare beaten but overgrown. Beautiful wildflowers swayed in the breeze and weed littered the stones of what Natsume could assume was a lovely narrow stairway up the mountain.</p><p>When he reached the top, Natsume was more than a little surprised to find a small house. It was all shuttered up, the windows were closed up, the paint peeling in places, and there were lots of branches and leaves piling up on the roof. But, it was a lovely little home.</p><p>"Did you know this was here, Nyanko-sensei?" The sandy-teen asked to the cat in his arms</p><p>Just as Natsume was about to explore, the rustling of the trees to his left made him jump, out of the wooded area strode an older man, probably a few years older than Shigeru-san.</p><p>"Oh! My boy, what are you doing so far up here?"</p><p>Natsume hadn't expected there to be a human in that place. It just didn't seem like the place where humans would live; there were too many youkai around, Natsume could almost hear their whispers. It was perfect for someone like Natsume, but any normal human would probably find the place terrifying.</p><p>"I'm sorry for intruding; I was just taking a walk and stumbled upon this place. My name is Natsume." He bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on the dark-eyes man.</p><p>"Oh it's no problem Natsume-kun. I just wasn't expecting anyone here; it's been a while since I saw anyone around this are." The man bowed back and smiled gently in a way that made Natsume assume the man was a grandfather.</p><p>Itou-san and Natsume spoke for a little while longer before the elderly man had to be on his way. Natsume smiled and thanked him for his time before making his way slowly down the little path.</p><p>"Nyanko-sensei, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked softly, looking over his shoulder at the path he had just walked.<br/>"What would I know about the way you think, Natsume?" but the cat was smirking, knowing perfectly well what his 'ward' was thinking.</p><p>Natsume did the same thing for a few days, and on those days, walking up the path to speak to the grey-haired Itou-san he would gather information about the run-down house. The price, the rent, how dilapidated it really was. As well as why it was abandoned in the first place.</p><p>When he had gathered all the information he spread it out in his room, ready to compile it and talk it through with his youkai protector before confronting the two people who were beginning to mean the world to him.</p><p>The rent was cheap, and the house not too worse for wear. The landlord, Itou-san, owned it but never lived in it and was looking for a tenant to move in before the abandonment made the house unliveable. He would take anyone willing to look after the house at that point, including students with a rent low enough that Natsume's account would barely feel it. Especially when his inheritance and part-time job were factored in.</p><p>It really was the perfect house. Up a small forest path, somewhat overgrown but nothing too drastic, not even a ten minute walk from the Fujiwara home, it was far enough away to be safe, and close enough to go home whenever he wanted. It sat on a good sized, empty plot of land where wild flowers grew rampant and the scent of nature was everywhere. It was quiet and peaceful.</p><p>The only thing that made it not so perfect was the rumours surrounding it.</p><p>Apparently it was infested with youkai, and that was the sole reason for its abandonment. No person could deal with the moving objects, the chatter, or the strange happenings and lights that would glow in the forest. Of course, that didn't bother Natsume anyway.</p><p>"It's not really infested with youkai." Nyanko yawned out; he had heard Natsume mumbling about youkai and figured he'd show his superior information gathering and help the boy. "Youkai live all around it, but none ever enter the house, it's no fun to haunt an abandoned house."</p><p>Natsume didn't look convinced by his 'protector's' assurance. "Does that mean that once I move in they'll all start haunting me?"</p><p>Nyanko-sensei snorted before rolling over in the beam of sunlight he was napping in. "Of course not, fool. I'm there to make you barriers; the low-life youkai who would haunt you won't be able to get in."</p><p>Natsume wasn't really convinced, especially considering the amount of time the youkai had entered the room they were presently in, but the tan-haired boy could only shrug and stand to go and eat dinner.</p><hr/><p>Natsume called Touko-san and Shigeru-san to the kitchen table after dinner. He had helped Touko-san with the dishes, and had spent a little time with Shigeru-san before calling them in to the kitchen where tea was already waiting.</p><p>Sitting opposite the curious couple, Natsume took a deep, stabilizing breath before speaking. "I'm turning eighteen soon," He began. "and I think now is a good time to move into my own place."</p><p>While the couple were shocked, both speechless at the sudden decision having heard nothing about it from the boy until that moment, Natsume decided to put all the information in front of them and explain where, why, and how he was going to make it happen. Asking finally:</p><p>"I would really like you're blessing for this, Touko-san, Shigeru-san."</p><p>Touko-san looked on at Natsume with a deeply worried expression marring her lovely face. She had a hand covering her mouth and her eyebrows furrowed. Her gaze switched to her husband, and he could read the concern, and pain in her gaze. They both saw Natsume as a son, and eighteen was far too early to move out.</p><p>Shigeru-san crossed his arms over his chest and didn't bother disguising his furrowed brow. He could see the logic behind Takashi's decision, but that didn't mean he agreed with it. He could tell there was something more; there always was where Takashi was concerned.</p><p>Neither Shigeru nor Touko were ignorant, they knew the rumours surrounding the boy- every family and couple who took him in knew the stories. But they decided to give the child a chance at a normal life and a loving family. Both could see the good that love did for the boy; he flourished under affection, so Shigeru didn't understand why he felt himself a burden, and why he felt he needed to leave as soon as he was of age.</p><p>"Is this really what you want, Takashi? To leave, so soon?" Shigeru levelled his gaze with Takashi; he could see the determination in those yellow-brown eyes. The boy was stubborn; Shigeru gave him that, just like his grandmother.</p><p>"No." Natsume divulged, "But I need to do this."</p><p>"But Takashi, surely you can wait a few years, get settled in a job or university before you move you." Touko tried to persuade. "You don't need to move you so soon. We love having you here."</p><p>Natsume couldn't help but smile at the woman in that soft, kind way that had captured many a youkai heart. "Touko-san. I'm not moving out because I dislike it here," He began softly. "I love living here with you, but I feel that I need to leave now. That it's the right time."</p><p>"But Takashi-"</p><p>Shigeru sighed heavily as he cut his dear wife off mid-sentence, "Darling, look at the boy," Shigeru urged, "he isn't the young boy who arrived here at barely fifteen. He's a man now and he's made his decision. You know we can't stop him once he's decided." Despite the words the aging man was smiling, as if recognising someone in Natsume.</p><p>Touko sighed, knowing her husband was right. "I expect you to visit at least twice a week when you're not working," She urged, "and come for dinner as often as you can. You're skinny enough already, I can't have you wasting away."</p><p>Touko fussed over Natsume for a long while longer, much to Shigeru and Natsume's amusement. But all of the woman's demands were easy for Natsume to keep; in fact he was pleased to go above and beyond her demands. He wasn't moving because he wanted to, simply out of necessity.</p><p>From there the plans moved rapidly, the Fujiwaras worked with Natsume to arrange the house and to get as many appliances and necessities the young man would need. They helped Natsume figure out a budget, and made a schedule for him to visit.</p><p>He wouldn't be able to explain it to anyone, not even himself really, why he was warm and why he smiled so openly during the month between his decision and his move out of the Fujiwara home. All Natsume knew was that he loved Shigeru-san and Touko-san. Leaving them was bittersweet, but it was worth it to keep the coupe safe and well for as long as possible.</p><p>On the day that Natsume was to move all his possessions were packed into boxes, his old futon was packed back into the closet and the book of friends tucked securely into his little pack strapped around his waist.</p><p>Touko-san spent the day cleaning the small, two bedrooms home, while Shigeru-san and Natsume spent the day going back and forth between the two houses, moving furniture and boxes of possessions. It was a tiring day, but by the evening everything was at least moved in.</p><p>Touko-san insisted on cooking the first meal in the home, and Natsume neither had the energy nor the heart to refuse the woman, and instead the four of them- including Nyanko-sensei- enjoyed a wonderful, warm meal before spending a few hours in Natsume's little living room talking about lots of nonsense and memories.</p><p>By the evening, once Shigeru-san and Touko-san were gone, Takashi was still nowhere near settled in. His small amount of furniture didn't really seem to fit the rooms right, the spare bedroom- what would become his study- was filled with boxes, and his kitchen was in disarray. Truthfully, Natsume felt a little lonely in the house. Sure, Nyanko-sensei was there, and various youkai throughout the day, some helping him and others, like Hinoe, hindering him. But without the constant presence of Touko-san or Shigeru-san there was something missing in his life.</p><p>He made a note to himself to visit them within the next few days. He missed them already.</p><p>It was late at night finally; Natsume was sitting in the living room with the radio playing, stoking Nyanko who slept on his lap, and trying to figure out what to do with the small home next. Though, his thoughts were interrupted when the door was knocked and his name called softly.</p><p>Getting up, curious as to what Youkai- it was <em>obviously </em>going to be a youkai- would call on him so late and use the front door. What he wasn't expecting was for four children to be standing on his doorstep, shivering, embarrassed, but all the same looking beyond excited to see him.</p><p>"Kitsune, Kirinoha, Kai, and is that Tama? What are you all doing here?"</p><p>He ushered the children into his home without a second thought, even the mountain god who he wasn't aware had even forgiven him yet. Sitting them in the living room, a blanket thrown over them to stop their shivering, he entered the kitchen to make some tea.</p><p>"So, what are you doing here so late at night?" Natsume began when all the child-youkai were seated and drinking tea. "And together too, I didn't think you knew each other?"</p><p>"Ung!" Sound of struggle made Natsume pause from drinking his tea to look at the youkai child that was struggling within Kitsune's arms.</p><p>Of course he knew who the child was, but Tama was so much bigger than Natsume remembered. The small tatsumi youkai looked about three years old as he struggled in Kitsune's arms, however it was obvious that the child was not developed in the same way a human child would be. Tama obviously couldn't speak, but from Kitsune's struggle he was strong, and Natsume knew from experience that Tama could walk and understand incredibly well, though acting on that understanding was still like most children.</p><p>He smiled indulgently, and when the young, horned youkai spotted that look he giggled, reaching out for the teen who he was sure was his one and only parent. Other than Nyanko, of course. Natsume picked the child up under his arms, instinctively placing him on his hip and holding him close while the child hugged him, babbling in happy child-noises. That caused Natsume to smile even more.</p><p>"So, why are you all here?" Natsume's voice was soft, as usual. He wouldn't tell them, but he was glad they were there. Once the surprise wore off Natsume fell into a comfortable kind of rut, the four children meant a lot to him, for different reasons. It was nice to have that familiarity in his new house.</p><p>"W-well," Kitsune started, wringing his kimono in a nervous fashion, without Tama in his arms he wasn't sure what to do. "we heard that Natsume wasn't living with the humans anymore, and well..."</p><p>Natsume stopped bouncing Tama for a moment to watch the fidgeting fox with intrigue; his eyes softened a little as he looked over the young kit. The affection in the child's voice when he said Natsume's name didn't go unnoticed. In fact it gave Natsume that little sting of pride.</p><p>"W-we were hoping, Natsume-nii-chan, that... well, you see..." Kirinoha's eyes seemed to plead with Natsume as the sandy teen watched on with more than a little confusion. Especially when you factor in the honorific the boy-youkai had used.</p><p>"We want to stay with you!" Kai's outburst sent even Natsume jumping slightly, his usually small eyes wide with shock.</p><p>Surprisingly, it was the suddenly awake Nyanko-sensei who reacted first. "Damn Kids, as if Natsume has the time to deal with any of you!" of course, Natsume didn't take too fondly to that.</p><p>"Sensei! Don't be so harsh on them!"</p><p>As per usual, Natsume and Nyako-sensei ended up in a heated debate. They battled the idea back and forth, Natsume's naturally protective side acting in favour of the children staying, even if he hadn't yet said that the children could stay, Nyanko-sensei of course argued the opposite, completely against any more troublesome youkai getting in between him and the book of friends. There was more to it, but he didn't have to admit that his own attention was already divided enough between Natsume's youkai visitors, he didn't need more people taking his time away from Natsume.</p><p>With a heavy sigh, Natsume released Tama with one hand and held it up to stop Nyanko-sensei's latest tirade.</p><p>"That's enough for tonight, Nyanko-sensei." He sighed, rocking the flagging Tama again. "It's getting late," he turned to the three remaining children, each looking a degree more hopeful than the last. "I'll let you stay here tonight because of how late it is. We'll discuss anything else tomorrow. Is that okay?"</p><p>The three older children looked on with grins as they all got up and hugged Natsume, bickering over who sat in his lap and why Tama got all the attention. Natsume simple laughed at their antics, picking Nyanko-sensei up before leading all the children to his room, the only one with a futon to sleep on.</p><p><em>Hopefully,</em> he thought to himself, <em>I can sort this out in the morning and figure out why they'd want to stay with me.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Natsume is Mine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Natsume was aware of being very warm and comfortable before he was really awake. He could feel warmth and a cool kind of breeze pressed against his sides and a strange weight pressed all along his torso. At first he was sure that Nyanko has decided to lay his entire bulk across Natsume's chest, but then the teen was aware of more than one extra set of breathing.</p><p>Then he realised that he couldn't move his arm, actually he couldn't move either of them. Groaning slightly, as the confusion drifted into his mind- too sleepy to actually allow for any panic- Natsume lifted his head to find a rather amusing sight.</p><p>Tama was lying on his chest, curled up with his little cheek smothered against Natsume's breast-plate. The little dragon youkai was drooling and smiling; he was clutching at Natsume's sleep-shirt with a deathly grip but had a contented look to him.</p><p>Looking further down his torso when he felt a shift, Natsume was surprised to see Kai, of all the children, sprawled across his hips and stomach. The blue-haired god had his arms on either side of Natsume's waist; they were lazy in sleep but had obviously been hugging him at one point. The boy had a light snore coming from his open mouth, with his other limbs thrown haphazardly around the futon and his hair was in disarray, but he too looked relatively happy.</p><p>Natsume tried to rub his eyes with his left hand, only to turn and find Kirinoha cuddling it with his back against Natsume's side. The young child was wrapped around the appendage to the point that Natsume wondered why he hadn't lost any feeling yet. Natsume laughed a little when he heard the young youkai mumble in his sleep, increasing his grip on Natsume's left arm as he shifted.</p><p>Finally aware enough to remember the events of the night before, Natsume let his gaze shift to the young fox-youkai pressed against his right side. Kitsune rested his head against Natsume's shoulder, his one arm was flung across the gap between Tama's legs and Kai's head, and Natsume's arm out of instinct had wrapped around the kit's waist during the night. The blanket that has kept Natsume warm before the arrival of the children was thrown across the room towards one of two windows.</p><p>Just then Natsume noticed- though with the smell of Sake it wasn't difficult- Nyanko-sensei waddle in through the open window and onto the pile of blankets and pillows the children were sleeping on originally.</p><p>"Natsume!" Nyanko slurred as he stumbled into the room, "Get rid of the brats and pet me!"</p><p>"Nyanko-sensei!" Natsume was woken fully by the thick smell of alcohol drifting off of the fluffy cat, the smell burnt his nose and he immediately sat up, knocking all the children into a heal in his lap, moans and whimpers assaulting his ears as he did.</p><p>"Natsume!" Kitsune whimpered, searching for Natsume's warmth again. "I wasn't ready to wake up."</p><p>"Me either, Natsume." Kirinoha mumbled, rubbing his eyes, though the way he swayed when he yawned Natsume could see the truth in the statement.</p><p>"Che, brats need to learn their place." Nyanko huffed before he threw himself onto Natsume's lap, where Tama had fallen asleep again.</p><p>The three other children paused from their whining when they saw the cat shove Tama out of the way, their eyes were wide and they backed away a little, but before Natsume could ask what was wrong an ungodly sound rose from the little dragon youkai.</p><p>It was an off mix of a roar, and a cry, and whimpering and it set Natsume off immediately. He rolled Nyanko off his lap, ignoring the drunken indignation that spewed from the cat-demon's mouth, and picked the child up, rocking the tearful child in his arms, even as Tama clutched to his neck with hands a little too strong for his own good.</p><p>"Shh, now look what you've done, you dumb cat." Natsume sighed, bouncing Tama in an attempt to get the sound to stop. Already his head was ringing as the unearthly sound echoed in the room from the grumpy child.</p><p>"Heh, these babies need to learn not to interfere with my prey then." Despite the sound the big cat did look somewhat repentant, and without argument went off and curled up on the pile of blanket under the window.</p><p>"Now now," Natsume tried, concerned that Tama hasn't stopped crying yet, and was actually hurting his neck now, he wasn't all that sure how to make a baby stop crying, but surely it couldn't be that hard. "It's alright, I'm sorry the stupid cat woke you up."</p><p>Tama sniffled, and Natsume could feel the dampness of his shirt collar when Tama pressed against it, but at least the wailing was done.</p><p>Then there was a bunch of babbled, incoherent words from his neck, and when Natsume looked down, Tama was grinning at him. "Asha balah, naka." Natsume raised an eyebrow and continued rocking him.</p><p>"Do any of you know what he means?" Natsume asked softly, looking at the curious Kit, and Kiri, and Kai. None of the children looked to understand though, and told him as much. "Ah, right. Alright Tama, do you want to go back to sleep?"</p><p>Tama continued to babble and Natsume listened intently, eyebrows furrowed, trying to decipher the small youkai's words. Just when he was about to give up two of the remaining three children suddenly assaulted his legs.</p><p>"Natsume!" Both Kitsune and Kirinoha whined, suddenly clinging to the sandy haired boy's legs, almost throwing him off balance.</p><p>"B-Boys," He tried to reason with them as he balanced himself. "Be careful! I might drop Tama or fall on you."</p><p>"But we're tired, and hungry!" They chorused, still clinging and almost nocking Natsume off his feet. Still, Natsume smiled softly and patted the two children's hair.</p><p>"Alright, alright, give me a second to settle Tama and then we'll –."</p><p>Kai's face turned into a snarl before he kicked the futon and spun on his heel, "You're all stupid!" and with that he stormed off downstairs where Natsume could heard doors slam and one of his chairs scrape along the floor.</p><p>Natsume sighed, his face confused as he listened to the sounds before he turned soft eyes to Kirinoha and Kitsune. "Now, shall we go have breakfast?"</p><p>The children chorused happily before they sprinted downstairs, Tama, seeing his youkai friends running off started scrambling in Natsume's arms. Natsume could only sigh and make his way downstairs to make breakfast for himself and his new housemates. He may have, had he been more awake and his arms less occupied, wondered when he decided that the three children were definitely staying for as long as they needed to or wanted to.</p><hr/><p>Breakfast was certainly an interesting experience for Natsume, if not for the three youkai children too. Between making up a set of pancakes and panicking –because could these youkai eat human food? –the pancakes had piled up and been set onto the table between all the children.</p><p>Nyanko, upon smelling the food had quickly made his way to the table and taken a seat between Natsume's and the seat that Kai had chosen. Natsume, once the stove was off and the dishes in the sink, sat in front of Kirinoha with Tama on his lap, and started picking at his food.</p><p>The other three youkai took that as a mark to move and slowly the three children tore through almost four pancakes each, Tama was trying to make his way through one, but seemed to be having issues.</p><p>Natsume paused his eating in wonder. Was Tama too young to eat solid food? Natsume was sure he ate with them before.</p><p>Before he could worry too much though Nyanko spoke up around his sixth pancake. "Don't over think, you'll hurt your human head." He scoffed at Natsume's scowl before continuing, "He's a youkai not a human, he should be alright."</p><p>"And if there's something wrong?"</p><p>Nyanko shrugged, "Then so be it."</p><p>"Nyanko-sensei! You can't say that, Tama's only a ba-."</p><p>"Alright, alright; don't get your maternal pants twisted. If there's something wrong treat him like a human child. Perhaps it would explain why he looks like he did when he hatched."</p><p>Natsume grumbled under his breath before turning back to his food. "I resent that maternal comment."</p><p>"Pfft. It's true though." Nyanko chuckled before he hopped off the chair and headed upstairs; Natsume knew he'd find the great white beast sprawled out in the sun later.</p><p>An hour later found all the children full –beside Tama, Natsume couldn't tell since the child had stopped eating and simply curled up and fell asleep again –and lounging on some of the boxes in Natsume's spare room, Kirinoha was sleeping, and Kitsune and Kai seemed to be whispering quietly in one of their youkai languages that Natsume could only half understand.</p><p>Natsume started to unpack, and while earlier Kirinoha has offered to help, it had turned out rather chaotic with things thrown everywhere and various sparkly objects piled in a corner; apparently youkai did that with their favourite items and Kirinoha thought he was teaching Natsume a wonderful trick. It had been amusing to try and explain the various human items that the youkai children hadn't come across yet.</p><p>Natsume's ipod had gone over well, and Kirinoha was still listening to it now even though he was pretty much asleep.</p><p>The room was still pretty bare; but Natsume was pretty sure that his new house mates wouldn't mind sleeping amongst his desk and school stuffs. They didn't really have much of a choice, in the end since Natsume didn't have enough rooms for them all to sleep in and they couldn't sleep with him every night, but he wanted them to feel welcomed nonetheless.</p><p>Suddenly there was a thud and vicious hissing, Natsume nearly tumbled when he spun around, Kai was glaring down at Kitsune, whose tail was bristled out, and his face was snarled as he bit back what sounded like sarcastic retorts in his youkai speech. When Natsume asked both the kids' faces fell.</p><p>"Nothing, Natsume-nii-sama." Kitsune replied, his eyes shot to Kai's face soon after, Kitsune quickly stuck his tongue out at the mountain-god before he jumped on the various boxes and joined Kirinoha on his, sharing Natsume's ear buds.</p><p>Natsume blinked and Kitsune was curled up on Kirinoha's lap in his fox form, Kirinoha had his one eye on Kai, and the mountain God was huffing and rolling back over the box and falling quiet.</p><p>Natsume could only look on shocked, and confused, because though the children had seemed to at least know of each other when they arrived the night before, there seemed to be nothing but animosity between the four of them, for even little Tama could be disgruntled towards Kai and Kitsune, though Kirinoha and Tama seemed to just roll with the punches; though Natsume didn't like that at all since they were children and fighting between children always brought back bad memories for him. He didn't want these children to feel the same hate bred for no reason.</p><hr/><p>Lunch was the same thing. When Natsume's back was turned, he suddenly heard an outburst of youkai babble and when he turn around Kai was on the floor this time, and Kirinoha had a guilty face, his lips full of tumbling babble that Natsume could completely read as being one thing – an apology.</p><p>And apparently Kai wanted none of it.</p><p>"Now, I've got lunch here, I'd hate to think that you spat is going to mean it goes to waste." Natsume explained softly as he put the plate down in front of Tama and Kitsune, the latter of whom has a stormy face. "So how about we put this matter aside for now and eat."</p><p>When Natsume sat, he chose to ignore the strange looks Kai, Kitsune, and Kirinoha sent him when he pulled Tama onto his lap to help the child eat in favour of reprimanding Nyanko-sensei for trying to steal all of Kitsune's favourite sandwiches.</p><p>"M-Madara-sama! Those are mine! Natsume-nii-sama made them for me!"</p><p>"Bwaha, brat you need to be faster."</p><p>Natsume smacked Nyanko lightly before putting <em>his</em> favourite sandwich before the round cat. "Sensei, don't be mean."</p><p>"Pfft, soft hearted child, no wonder my yuujinchou is so thin now."</p><p>"Yeah yea, Sensei."</p><hr/><p>That night had ended up similar too.</p><p>While all the children, including Tama had gone to sleep in Natsume's study, somewhere in the night they had all migrated to Natsume again, all in the same positions as the night before, and for the first time all day, quiet.</p><p>Until Kai grew rowdy in his sleep and knocked Tama off, over Kirinoha and onto the floor.</p><p>Of course, the young youkai –and Natsume still couldn't figure out why Tama looked more human than before, or why he was using a human form to begin with –had started crying, completely disoriented and possibly hurt; the ensuing sound woke all the children, and while Natsume was groggily soothing the dragon-youkai, Kitsune had shoved Kai.</p><p>The proceeding youkai noises woke Sensei, who, in a fit on exhausted rage, exploded into his Madara form and very quickly put all the children back in their place. Their pale faces when Madara's rage rolled over them, almost made them blend into his fur when he wrapped around the whole room –Natsume and Tama by his head and shoulder, and the other three wrapped in his tail –had the children almost blending in with the furs.</p><p>"If you see fit to wake me again, not even the soft-hearted fool here will save you. Go the hell to sleep."</p><p>Natsume could only sigh and hold the urge to smack Madara one upside the head; at least the rest of the night was quiet, save for the quiet sleep babbles of Kirinoha and Kai.</p><hr/><p>It was three days later that Natsume really decided he should intervene.</p><p>All of them were up in Natsume's study, the children were on their –mussed but never used futons – and Tama was lying across Natsume's lap sleeping. Madara was in Natsume's room, and Natsume was doing some school work that he had been putting off since moving.</p><p>The room was pretty much unpacked besides two boxes that Natsume didn't yet know what to do with. So with the unpacking undone Natsume turned away from the children to work.</p><p>Suddenly, Kai's face twisted and before Natsume could really be sure what was happening Kitsune was on the floor and Kirinoha was being driven back by the young Kai. Natsume's eyes widened as he watched the children, for all intents and purposes, fight each other for the sixth of seventh time that week, the third of the day.<br/>"K-Kai! Stop, w-why did you push Kit?" Kirinoha has taken on the expression of confusion and fear as he stalked backwards.</p><p>"That's it. All of you downstairs now." Though his voice was raised and commanding, Natsume was not shouting. That never got you anywhere, especially not with young children.</p><p>The children, having heard the sternness in the usually quiet young man's voice were quick to stand and head downstairs to the little living room.</p><p>Natsume sighed just under his breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose before stooping down to pick up Tama who had fallen asleep next to his knee while he was finishing up his college assignment.</p><p>Tama woke as Natsume made his way downstairs, but the youkai was obviously not ready to wake up because he snuggled into Natsume's neck seeking warmth and sleep. When Natsume arrived in the living room he ignored the children in favour of lying Tama onto a pile of blankets and pulling one of the discarded blankets over the sleeping toddler-like dragon.</p><p>Only then did he turn to the three children who refused to meet his eyes.</p><p>"Do you want to tell me why you pushed Kitsune, Kai?"</p><p>"He was being stupid." the young god explained, crossing his arms and looking away.</p><p>"Was not. Natsume-nii-sama, I didn't do anything! He's the one who's being stupid."</p><p>"Guys, <em>please</em> stop fighting." Kirinoha was waving his arms desperately, trying to calm the two fiery youkai fighting across him.</p><p>Both turned furious eyes on him with a quick, "You be quiet." Before the green-haired boy squeaked and flitted to Natsume's side, where he hid all of himself but his one visible eye.</p><p>"Now boys, you shouldn't fight with each other."</p><p>"Well they should learn to stay away from me then." Kai spat, a thrum of his power as a god making itself known. "Especially when I'm spending time with you."</p><p>Natsume was floored by the admittance, because he wasn't even sure that Kai had forgiven him yet. The boy had been so angry at their parting, with humans in general, and while that anger was still there it didn't seem aimed at Natsume.</p><p>"That's not fair!" Kitsune shouted, stamping one of his little feet, "I knew Natsume first. You can't take all his time, Kai!"</p><p>Kai growled even as Kirinoha spoke up with a creased brow. "I want to spend time with Natsume-nii-chan too, you both can't be with him all the time."</p><p>"Can too!" The shyest youkai child hid again, shaking slightly at the declaration from the two others.</p><p>"No you can't!" Kai insisted, "I will but you can't!"</p><p>"Nu-uh! I've known Natsume all this time, at least I've never been angry at him!"</p><p>Natsume could only watch, completely surprised as the children fought and bickered, Kai and Kitsune threw jabs at each other that had full effectiveness if the energy in the room was any indicator.</p><p>"Guys…." Kirinoha tried again.</p><p>And the guttural, "Shut up, Kiri," Sent the young youkai scattering again.</p><p>Natsume sighed, he didn't really understand what any of them were saying, nor did he understand why they would be fighting over <em>his</em> attention. But they were children- older than him or not- their logic wouldn't really ever make sense to Natsume, especially when their childhoods were different.</p><p>Each of the three children had their hair ruffled, and three pairs of eyes looked up at Natsume with confusion.</p><p>"I have enough time for all of you, and you're all equally important to me." Natsume reassured, "If you really want to stay with me we need to work something out; you need to get along."</p><p>When all the children relaxed a little, Takeshi could only laugh lightly under his breath. "Until then however, we'll have a rota, I'll spend some time with each of you every day. But I have things I need to do too; human things. Until you can all learn to get along with each other you'll have to stick to the schedule no matter what. Don't you think that's silly?"</p><p>The children looked suitably chastised, though Kai scoffed. "Why should I listen to you? I don't want to follow a stupid schedule."</p><p>Natsume paused, closing his eyes for a second before sighing, "So you admit that it's a silly concept?" When Kai looked up surprised, Natsume continued. "If you want to live here with me for a while you need to get a long, and since you guys can't do that yet you have to learn how; the rota is to keep you all happy while you learn to do that."</p><p>Kai looked like he wanted to protest, but before he could Kirinoha spoke up in a hushed stutter. "I, I think we can do that, Natsume-nii-chan."</p><p>Kai glared but huffed and agreed lightly, and Kitsune smiled that bright smile he usually wore, "Course we can, Kiri!"</p><p>Natsume just smiled and ruffled all three youkai's hair. "Good, let's get started."</p><hr/><p>So that evening, instead of his assignment, Natsume drew up a schedule, he made it a week long and columns for each child on one side, and times (as well as what that would look like on Natsume's human clock) on the other. Then, Natsume explained, that he was the colour yellow. Each place coloured in yellow in each youkai's column was when he would spend with them, if a section was blank, than Natsume was with someone else. He also explained that the orange sections were when he had either Human duties, or had to spend time with Nyanko-Sensei on yuujinchou problems. In which case, none of the four children were allowed to bother him unless it was an emergency. Finally, Natsume penned in a few purple sections were when he would spend time with all of them at once, mainly during meal times.</p><p>Natsume also made it very clear –when he explained the schedule to everyone in the living room that evening –that the timing on the board could change at any time if something came up suddenly. So he tried to encourage them to start getting along sooner rather than later.</p><p>The four youkai looked at the schedule critically, Tama probably didn't understand, but since he wasn't talking yet Natsume wasn't sure. Nyanko was also looking over the schedule with scrutiny, but had yet to voice any arguments.</p><p>Then Kitsune's eyes narrowed and he looked at Natsume like he had just played a dirty trick. "Why does Tama get so much more time with you than us? That's not fair! You said we were all <em>equally</em> important to you."</p><p>The words shot through Natsume like an ice pick and he tried to fight the wince in his voice and the hurt in his eyes when he explained. "You know that I care for you all." He tried, "But Tama is a lot younger than you. He really eat or dress by himself, and he has to be put down for naps a lot of the time. If you look, he has a lot of sections, but they're short. I won't be playing with him much yet."</p><p>Natsume had to wonder why he sounded like this arrangement was becoming a permanent thing, and why his mind went to a future where Tama would be older and able to care for himself like the other youkai did.</p><p>"But his time cuts into mine!" Kai protested, pointing to a section of yellow cut in two.</p><p>"Kai," Natsume sighed and crouched to the god's level, "It doesn't cut into your time, I promise. I just briefly split your time in half so I could check on Tama, then I'll be right back to spending time with you."</p><p>Natsume watched as the children, even quiet Kirinoha grew restless at the prospects of all this.</p><p>"Can't we help you with Tama? Then you can spend more time with us." The forest youkai asked, one green eye looking into Natsume's.</p><p>"Now that wouldn't be fair to Tama, would it?" He replied, pointing to the board. "This is only here for now. Once you can show me that you can get along, that you won't fight each other over silly things all the time then I will get rid of this. After that you won't need a schedule, other than when I'm working you can all spend time together; you <em>could</em> help me with Tama then, or with food or housework."</p><p>When no one answered, Natsume could only sigh and ruffle their hair before standing and moving towards the kitchen to make dinner.</p><p>"I am just doing this for you guys, so please don't just throw the idea out, alright. If you really don't like it I'll figure something else out."</p><hr/><p>The boys stared for a long had time at the schedule before they huffed and stormed off, leaving Tama on a pile of pillows, confused and lonely. Natsume had said that they had to stick to the schedule pretty tightly, and that they had to amuse themselves between their times with him, so they would. Tama got to spend the most times with Natsume, so the boys would leave the youngest youkai to it.</p><p>Even if Tama started calling for them in his dragon language.</p><p>"Come on Tama, they'll get over it eventually."</p><p>So began the very long, first day.</p><hr/><p>"Natsume-nii-sama! It's my turn now. Tama can go play with Kiri." Was Kitsune's whined response in the morning after Tama was fed and changed.</p><p>"Natsume! Why are you still with the fox, I'm supposed to have time with you now." Was Kai's disgruntled moan later in the day.</p><p>"Um, Natsume-nii-chan. Are you done now? Can you read me one of those human gooks with the pictures?" And even Kirinoha's quiet insistence was grating just before dinner.</p><hr/><p>Natsume was exhausted by the end of the night, the boys were crammed in his bed within a few hours, and Nyanko had rolled out of the window for his nightly drinking with the older youkai moments after.</p><p>He had drafted up the schedule to avoid conflict, and right now it felt like it was generating more; at this rate the schedule wouldn't last two weeks, never mind to the time that the children could stop squabbling.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. When you learn to work together.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Natsume tried not to scrub at his face when he saw Kitsune's little ears pop around the doorway between his kitchen and yard, the sandy-haired young man was sitting at the dining table, writing out his budget which, between having four new housemates, to the last youkai who decided to barge through the west wall rather than the window, was being thrown in disarray.</p><p>"Kit, the schedule right now is for me to do human things, is there an emergency?" Natsume could hear the annoyance in his voice –though not directed at the fox –and tried to rein it in.</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Do you need something to eat or drink?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Then what's wrong?" Natsume smiled softly at the little head popped around the corner, and he could see the concern and confusion in Kitsune's eyes.</p><p>"What is Nii-sama doing? I can feel your irritation from the backyard."</p><p>That startled the youkai-seer, and he sat up straight. He knew that youkai were much more perceptive to changes like emotions, but he didn't know they were so able to sense it. He laughed to himself before his eyes flickered to the three other figures in the opposite doorway to Kitsune.</p><p>"I am doing what humans call a budget, would you like to see? All of you?"</p><p>Though bashful, not one of Natsume's boys hesitated as they clambered onto the two chairs beside him, Kirinoha balancing a curious Tama on the table so he could see.</p><p>"What is this, Natsume?" Kai asked, eyes scanning the paperwork and the numbers and symbols. He recognised nearly all of them from his time in human school but couldn't see the use of them. "These are for your mon-ees right?"</p><p>Kai wasn't sure what he said, but it was good to feel the light renter Natsume's energies all of a sudden.</p><p>"Money, Kai. It's money. Yes, this is a 'budget' and humans use it to keep track of their money, what their spending, what they need, and to make sure they're not spending too much in one place."</p><p>Kirinoha looked confused, having spent the least amount of time with the humans, until Kitsune piped up, "Money is human trade. They earn it and then trade it for food and stuff."</p><p>"Oh, not like us then." Kiri realised as he looked at all the numbers, understanding more of the scribble now than before.</p><p>Natsume nodded as he pointed out different things, small, like 'house' and 'repairs' and such. The children seemed to understand, but he could see when they were growing bored.</p><p>"Why don't you go and play while I finish this off, when we'll think about going out to the spirit park or something, alright?"</p><p>Kirinoha and Kitsune were off almost immediately, but Kai hung back, and in turn the other two did as well.</p><p>"Natsume, why is this one circled so much, like the 'repairs'."</p><p>Natsume mused for a second. Kai was perceptive, especially of human affairs –or at least in comparison to Kirinoha and Kitsune, Tama would be as perceptive of Natsume if he could respond yet –Kai has spotted the food budget, which was tight. Unlike rent and school, the food and repairs, as well as clothes and the various utility bills were ever changing, and while the repairs would have been nothing to worry about had the children not been living with Natsume, they were a problem now. He couldn't but the food bill to supplement the repairs, but there weren't so many other things he could shift to make up for the rather rude youkai.</p><p>Nyanko would call him a soft-hearted fool for it, but Natsume's first thoughts couldn't help but straying towards eating less to make sure his four housemates ate well, despite knowing that the children could all go out and fend for themselves. It was just in Natsume's innate character to put others –especially children he cared for –before himself.</p><p>"That's nothing to worry about." he assured them, wanting them to understand, because it would help them grow, but also wanting them to live with him worry free. They didn't need to act like burdens when mostly Natsume was grateful for their company.</p><p>But Kai of course knew better, that was a food budget, and while they didn't eat as much as Nyanko, put together Kirinoha, Tama, Kitsune, and himself put away a lot more food than just Nyanko and Natsume would alone.</p><p>Narrowing his eyes, Kai was unforgiving in dragging his Youkai brothers outside to have a chat, leaving Natsume –concerned about the move but not overly worried –to finish up his budget.</p><hr/><p>Later that evening, when three baskets of foods and rices appeared at the door, Natsume couldn't help but quickly find the children and gather them close before preparing their favourite meal for dinner.</p><p>The children had been far too quiet that afternoon and while Natsume knew that youkai could very well fend for themselves, he couldn't help but worry about them. Especially since he had found almost all of them under circumstances where they <em>couldn't</em> fend for themselves. But now he knew what they had been doing, and he had given Kai's hair and extra affectionate pat that evening before bed in thanks.</p><p>When two weeks later it happened again, and a week after again Natsume grinned to himself. That evening when the kids were asleep Natsume snuck down and cut up the schedule, putting it outside for the bath fire.</p><p>After all, for the last month, there hadn't been a single fight over Natsume's attention or affection and the kids deserved a treat.</p><p>Tomorrow, Natsume thought as he settled down into Madara's furs, still surrounded by youkai children who refused to use their own bedroom, he'd treat them all to human ice cream.</p><p>He wondered how long it would take them to realise there was no schedule anymore.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>